FAITH? WORKS?

So today I was pondering about the word Faith? What is it? Why do we need it? Then I was also pondering about the word Works? What is it? Why do we need it?

There is a lot of commotion about Faith and Works. Some of us might have Faith but be lacking in the works. Some of us might have the Works but lacking in the Faith. Why are these two words so important to returning to be with our Heavenly Father.

First I would like to explain what each word means and its importants then I will tie it into on how we need both Faith and Works to return to be with our Father in Heaven.

So Faith as states in Alma 32:21, "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true," Faith is something you believe that is true but you cannot see. Just like our Savior Jesus Christ. We have all not seen Him but we know he truly is the Son of God, that He died for us and through Him we can return to be with our Heavenly Father.

Without Faith nothing is possible. We cannot receive anything. Faith is a daily task that we always need to continue to increase. You can never have to much Faith. As it states in the Matthew 17: 20; "Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." As we gain Faith we can do so much. It is so important to have Faith in our lives.

Next Works? Works, something so good to have in our lives. But something so simply to forget about. The definition of the word Works is, "The effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something." The Lord has asked us, "If ye love me, keep my Commandments" (John 14:15). Those are works, that we need to accomplish. As we show our Love for Him by keeping his commandments we are blessed with, increased Faith, (hum, there is the word I was was looking for) and also increased support and protection from our Heavenly Father.

 It is something that we need to do on a day to day basis. Not just today and take a couple days off and then get back on it. We need to strive to work everyday and every hour. Just like our Faith we need to strive to increase our Faith everyday. 

These two words; Faith and Works are so key and important to have in our Lives. We might have one but not the other. If that is the case we cannot progress. We are stuck. Its kinda like a rowboat. Usually you have two ore's that you use so you can go straight and get to your destination. Well if you forget one of those ore's and only use one then you will just go in circles. You would not continue on to your destination. With two they work together and then you will have a straight shot to your destination.

That is why our Heavenly Father has counciled us on exercising both; Faith and Works. As We read in James 2:14,17-18 & 26 it says; "14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We all need both of them to reach the potential our Heavenly Father wants for us. I can testify as we strive to live our lives with The Faith and Do the works we can and will return to be with our Heavenly Father and we can receive the blessings that He has in store for us. Always remember John 14:15; "If ye love me keep my commandments." This is what He asked us to do. We need Faith and Works in this commandment.

Gods Eternal Plan

Well today I continue on the Wonderful Plan that God has for us.

After the Spirit World, the waiting room, we will all be Resurrected and Judged according to our works and desires here on earth.

The Resurrection is a wonderful gift that has been given to us all from our Savior Jesus Christ. Christ, Himself was resurrected and so we too shall be resurrected. What is the Resurrection? You might say, well the Resurrection is the reuniting of the Body and Spirit. In the Book of Mormon it explains the resurrection perfectly. It is found in Alma 11: 41-44, " For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

 42Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

 43The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

 44Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body." So as it says in 43 reunited again in a perfect form. that is amazing, that God would give us that gift to be free from any sickness, pains etc.. How great that is to have that.

As I think about the resurrection, oh how much I look forward to that, we all have aches and pains which if you think about it, makes us not perfect. There is that word again. Part of Gods Plan, to become like Him. PERFECT!!! And so with the Resurrection given to us all, we have that extra step of becoming like our Heavenly Father.

As you continue to read on in Alma 11, it talks about how we will all be "Judged according to our works." That is where we will all stand face to face with the Perfect Judge Himself, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. They know everything that we have done, are doing and will do, and we will be Judged according to what we have done in this life. That is why doing your best in this life is so key. Don't just wait till its to late. We always have to remember our Savior Jesus Christ and His ultimate Sacrifice that he made for us, as we do that we will continue to want to be like him. We just need to continue to strive to follow His example and better our lives.

I know as we remember Jesus Christ and why He truly came down to this earth. Fulfilling the Resurrection and being the example for all of us. The answers to why we all need to be resurrected and also why it is so important to "start now" on our works to trying to be like him.  We will see the importance of this life for the life to come. I know that everyone of us will be Resurrected like our Savior Jesus Christ, into a perfect form and we will also be judged according to our works and desires here on earth. It truly is important to "Start Now", so we can have eternal happiness.

My next address will talk about what we will receive for our works and desires!